Greens May Be OK With Climate Bill's Failure

Before friends of the environment get too worked up about the death of the 2008 Climate Security Act last week, they should note tepid green support all along. So-called Lieberman-Warner was “easily the most aggressive and comprehensive environmental reform ever” in Congress, Dayo Olopade writes in the New Republic, but a more leftist legislature backed by a Democratic president could likely cut deeper.

Some saw the bill as “deeply flawed, a foldable hand in what is proving to be a long round of planetary poker,” Olopade says. The public support is there for sweeping change, and while delay carries a great cost, greens might only get one big shot—and President Obama would likely support tougher standards and more money for renewable energy. (More climate change stories.)